Anyone else loathe mealtimes?

I get so stressed out at mealtimes these days. It never seems to be the right time to feed them. Either they are too hungry, not hungry, too tired, etc. Or they dont eat what I make so I end up giving them frozen waffles and fruit for dinner even if they had it for breakfast. It is so frustrating. Just the thought of having to do the same thing three times a day let alone trying to figure out what to make (granted they eat all of 6 things) that they havent had just yesterday drives me bananas. Ahhh thanks for letting me vent.

 

I know exactly how you feel!!

Most days I just 'give in' if you will. I try to feed them their three main meals & snacks but some days I get so fed up. Most days it's a touch & go scenario! Either they'll eat what I give them or they'll flatly refuse even to take a bite!
Worst is when Dd will sit in her highchair & throw the food ever which way! Takes some real nerves of steal I can tell ya to keep my patience!

Right now I'm trying to give them little bits of food in their bowls..but they see the bowls as toys!

And the worst is when after you have 'slaved' to make a lovely meal for them they will turn their heads away in disgust or flatly refuse to even taste it!

The joys!! But like I'm always told 'this too shall pass'....Hmmmm

 

Dinner time is always a source of stress for me. I feel like they eat the same thing repeatedly. But every time I get frustrated I just remember what my pedi said, which is don't stress it. Basically he said look for them to get the needed nutrition over a period of time and not necessarily every day.

 

I feel your frustration! My boys used to eat everything, and now it has come down to pancakes and fruit. I cook just about all our meals from scratch, so when they don't eat what I have slaved to make, it burns me! They too throw their bowls, spoons, cups, etc. on the floor. They recently figured out that it was funny to throw food at each other. Needless to say, our mealtimes are a circus as well! I have no advice, just know that you are not alone!

 

Oh yes do I know how you feel!! :hug99: I feel like my girls are on the worst diet ever right now. It's so hard and extremely frustrating!!

 

:wavey: ME TOO!!!! I'm always stressing out about providing balanced meals, and trying to introduce new solids, but yet keep them full and happy too. Half the time they batt the spoon away causing food to fly everywhere, or they take a bite only to spit it out. Oh it drives me crazy! And to make things even more fun, they're getting over being sick and won't eat ANYTHING. I swear they're going to starve. B had even lost weight since his 1 yr WBE when we took him in on Monday. Why won't they just be sweet baby birds and eat everything and anything I offer??? ardon:

 

Mealtimes are rough around here too. My boys have never been wonderful eaters, but they got even worse after a week-long bout of the stomach flu a couple of months ago. Now they no longer eat breakfast despite me offering pretty much everything under the sun, and lunch and dinner often turn into fights. I hate having to offer the same thing over and over again, but we're down to only a few things they'll eat. I'm to the point that I'm thrilled if they take one bite of whatever food I offer. Thank goodness they love fruit or most meals they'd leave the table without eating anything at all!

I find that people who are blessed with good eaters really don't understand the stress of dealing with 2 very picky eaters for 3 meals a day!

 

Glad to know I am never alone Now I have to go and figure out breakfast :unsure:

 

thank you for this post - i really feel like i'm going to lose it sometimes - i'm so glad that I'm not alone....

 

Yup, Zachary's favorite phrase is "All Done." I put the bowl on their tray, he picks it up and hands it back and says "All Done" and laughs. My boys' faves are chicken nuggets, baked fries, carrots and mandarin oranges so I know they are getting nutrition but what a pain in the a$$, they eat a some then out of nowhere they'll start chewing up, taking out of their mouth and dumping it everywhere. I hate the half hour of clean up more than I hate figuring out what to feed. (oh yeah, pizza is always a hit too and I have even fed them that for breakfast )

 

I just posted about my breakfast wars or more aptly, stalemates, as they just seem to refuse what I have prepared. Then I saw your post. Guess I am in the same shoes. From reading everyone else's posts, looks like this phase may last a while. Guess I will have to try to keep my frustration at bay. I hope we all get some reprieve from this!

Another loathing mealtime mommy...Sotto

 

Add me to the list!

I don't stress about it necessarily, and up until recently the girls were good eaters. Now it's all about the fruit and carbs

But I'm not a particularly food oriented person, I eat because I have to, not because I really care....and trying to figure new things out for the girls so they don't only eat nuggets and fruit...drives me batty!

 

Ah yes...I could've started this post myself.

Dinner is the worse, mainly because it is the hardest time to get them to eat and I'm at the tail end of my patience because it's the end of the day anyway.

Breakfast is always the same and it's the easiest. My mom was appalled that I give them the same thing every morning, but why fix something that ain't broken??

Lunch and dinner varies but revolves around the same basics. I don't cook and really don't even know where to start.

I couldn't wait to ditch the bottles, but boy was that way easier!!!

 

I hear ya! My older one was the world's most frustrating eater, right from the day we started solids. I used to beat my head against the wall every day, and sometimes still had to spoon-feed her with the TV on until the babies were born (after which she was on her own, because we didn't have time for that nonsense).

But, knock on wood and spit over your shoulder, because my younger two LOVE to eat, so far. They will eat almost everything I give them, with gusto. They don't refuse the spoon. The only thing they've rejected so far is cottage cheese, seriously.

Now, I know it will change, because toddlers are never this easy -- but, right now the universe is making it up to me for my older DD, LOL.

 

[SIZE=10pt]I do ~ mostly because I don't really care for cooking. Seems like we are constantly having the same things ~ so of course the kiddos do too.

Right now Breakfast is the hardest...seems like we always have pancakes, french toast, waffles or toast. Of course fruit as well...but can't seem to find anything else. Now that they're over a year (a whole day ) I'm going to try eggs.

April [/SIZE]

 

Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.
I cannot figure out what to feed them at all. I'm going back on my personal principles (I'm a whole grain/organic/vegan type of gal) just to get something in their faces. I don't even mind the pursed lips response as much as I hate the taking a mouthful and then have it all dribble out over their chin response. Man I hate that. And the grabbing at the spoon. grrrrr.
I can't even imagine giving them a bowl with food in it. I'd have to get a dog to clean up the floor. I was sooo proud of myself, steaming all those organic vegetables and freezing them in little cubes. Now I'm buying them muffins hoping they'll get some carbs in them. And when I cook them something new and they don't like it, I just don't have a back-up "I know they are going to like this food" on hand so I can get something in them. I can't believe I'm going to have to be worrying about their meals for the next freaking 17 years!

 

QUOTE(sunshinetwins @ Jun 13 2008, 07:23 PM) [snapback]825423[/snapback]
Breakfast is always the same and it's the easiest. My mom was appalled that I give them the same thing every morning, but why fix something that ain't broken??

ditto this...breakfast is always frozen pancakes and a banana!

 

QUOTE(Becca34 @ Jun 13 2008, 07:30 PM) [snapback]825439[/snapback]
I hear ya! My older one was the world's most frustrating eater, right from the day we started solids. I used to beat my head against the wall every day, and sometimes still had to spoon-feed her with the TV on until the babies were born (after which she was on her own, because we didn't have time for that nonsense).

But, knock on wood and spit over your shoulder, because my younger two LOVE to eat, so far. They will eat almost everything I give them, with gusto. They don't refuse the spoon. The only thing they've rejected so far is cottage cheese, seriously.

Now, I know it will change, because toddlers are never this easy -- but, right now the universe is making it up to me for my older DD, LOL.



Try mixing the cottage cheese with unsweetened applesauce...mine love it that way!

 

I am with you all! Mine are very limited in what they will eat but it seems I can add some new stuff here and there. I am dealing with an egg and severe dairy allergy with my son so that just makes it all so much more fun.

Since I can't use eggs - I make our pancakes (Bisquick healthy heart mix) with applesauce, add a little flax oil, and sometimes I finely grate a carrot or two in to it. Or a little bit of very mashed sweet potatoes. I make a big batch and freeze for the week. So if they want that for dinner I don't feel too guilty!

Also - I really only given them the Bell & Evan's chicken nuggets. And those are just pure healthy chicken. So if they want to eat that every day that's fine with me! So when I stop stressing and really look at what they do eat : tons of fruit etc; They are fairly healthy eaters. And I still back it all up with Polyvisol vitamin drops in their morning drink.

anyway - like a PP said - don't stress about the day to day intake - look at it more over a space of a week! And take a deep breath . . .

 

I thought I was going to lose my mind over the eating situation too. Someone recommended the book, "Child of Mine, Feeding w/ love and good sense" by Ellyn Satter to me and it changed the way I look at feeding the girls. WE are doing much better now.